Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

H'. H. & H. G. HARRIS.

WIRE STRETGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 3,1901.

UNIT

HARVEY H. HARRIS AND HENRY O. HARRIS, OF GOWGILL, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS OFONE- HALF TO LAURA F. HARRIS AND THOMAS S. HARRIS, OF COWGILL, MISSOURI.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed August 3, 1907. Serial No. 386,957.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARVEY H. HARRIs and HENRY C. HARRIs, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cowgill, in the county of Caldwell andState of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to wire fence implements and more particularlyto means for stretching runner wires either singly or in seriesaccording to the style of fence and the nature of the clamp or gripemployed.

The invention consists of the novel features and structural detailswhich hereinafter will be more particularly set forth and claimed andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a wire stretcher embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stretcher. Fig. 3 is a detail perspectiveview of an end portion of the operating fork. Fig. 1 is a detailperspective view of an end portion of the stretcher frame,

showing the block for closing the open end of the bearing slot detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The stretcher may be adapted either for stretching a wire fence as awhole or individual wires thereof, or for drawing the ends of brokenwires or independent wires when it may be required to splice or couplethe same.

The stretcher comprises a frame 1, an operating fork 2, Windlass 3 and aratchet mechanism cooperating with the parts 1, 2 and 3. The Windlass orspool 3 is provided at opposite ends with journals 4 which pass throughthe fork or spaced members of the parts and which receive ratchet wheels5 fast thereto. The frame 1 has its outer end of triangular form andprovided with an eye bolt 6 connected thereto by means of a swiveljoint. The inner portion of the frame 1 comprises parallel bars ormembers between which the Windlass or spool 3 is arranged. The frame 1,as also the operating fork 2, is preferably of one piece, being cast,although they may be constructed in any way. The Windlass 3 has thejournals 4 formed therewith and to admit of assembling the parts orseparating the same when required, the end portions of the frame 1 andthe members of the operating fork 2 are formed with slots 7, which areclosed at their open ends by means of blocks 8, the latter beingretained in place by fastenings 9, which may consist of bolts, machinescrews or pins. T o prevent lateral displacement of the blocks 8interlocking joints are formed between their edges and the adj acentedges of the slot 7, said interlocking joints consisting of a tongue andgroove, as shown most clearly in Fig. 1. When the blocks 8 are'in.position in the slots of the side members of the frame 1, the openingsformed correspond to the diameter of the journals 4,

thereby preventing any play of the Windlass in the frame 1, butadmitting of said Windlass turning freely. The openings formed'in thefork members of the part 2, after the blocks 8 have been placed inosition, are elongated, thereby admitti g o the operating fork 2 havinga limited longitudinal play upon the journals 4 in addition to a turningmovement. The longitudinal movement or play of the operating fork 2 isessential to admit of the teeth or cogs 10 carried thereby ratchetingwith the teeth of the ratchet wheels 5. The teeth or cogs 10 areprovided upon the inner sides of the members of the fork 2 and areformed by cutting away portions of said fork members. Upon moving theoperating fork 2 in one direction, the teeth or cogs 10 ride upon theteeth of the ratchet wheels 5 and upon moving the operating fork 2 inthe opposite direction, the teeth or cogs 10 engage with the teeth ofthe ratchet wheels 5 and turn the Windlass or spool 3 so as to wind thechain 11, or like flexible connection, thereon.

To prevent backward rotation of the windlass 3 to unwind the chain orflexible connection 11, detent pawls 12 are provided and pivoted at 13to the side members of the frame 1, said pawls 12 having springs 14connected thereto and of such formation as to either hold the pawls inengagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 5 or in position so asnot to interfere with the free turning of the Windlass as when it may berequired to have the chain or flexible connection 11 unwind freelytherefrom. The two positions of the detent pawls are shown by the fulland dotted lines in Fig. 1. The springs 14 are approximately of U-form,one member thereof being secured to a pawl and the other member having acrimp 15 near its free end to cooperate with a pin 16, so as to hold thepawl in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheels. Upon throwingthe operating pawls to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, thecrimp clears the pin 16 and holds the pawl out of the path of the teethof the ratchet wheel so that the Windlass may turn freely in eitherdirection. The operating fork 2 is provided with a socket 17 or likeattaching end to which is fitted a handle 18, whereby ower may beapplied for turning the wind ass 3 to wind the chain orflexibleconnection 11 thereon when tightening a fence or drawing a wireor like part.

When adapting the invention for tightening a wire fence, a chain 31 isconnected with the eye bolt 6 of the frame 1 and may be secured to apost, or to a Wire to be spliced, and

. the chain or flexible connection 11 connected to the 'wire to betightened.

The operation of the device may be plainly stated as follows: .Uponoscillating the handle 18, the Windlass 3 is intermittently turned andwinds the chain or flexible connection 11 thereon, with the result thatthe wire connected with the part 11 is drawn towards the Windlass andtightened.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A wire stretcher comprising a frame, having an end portion of triangularform and the opposite end portion consisting of spaced members havingslots extended inward from their ends, an eye bolt having swivelconnection with the outer end of said frame, a windlass having journalsmounted in the slots formed in the ends of said frame members, blocksclosing the open end of said slots, ratchet wheels fast to the journals,an operating fork having slots extended inward from the ends of itsmembers and adapted to receive the outer end of the aforesaid journals,blocks closing the open ends of said slots, the innersides of saidforked members being cut away to provide teeth for cooperation with theteeth of the ratchet wheels, detent pawls pivoted to the spaced membersof' the frame and adapted to cooperate with the teeth of the saidratchet wheel, U-shaped springs for said detent pawls having one endfast thereto and the opposite end crimped, pins applied to the spacedmembers of the frame and cooperating with the crimped ends of saidsprings to hold the pawls either in or out of operative position, meansfor connecting the Windlass to the part to be subjected to tension, andmeans for imparting an oscillatory movement to the operating fork.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses. HARVEY H. HARRIS.

HENRY O. HARRIS. WVitnesses:

ALVIN PooR, P. S. SHELENBERGER.

[L. s.] [L. s.]

